Protests in Cambodia

Cambodians are protesting the closure of Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park, which has been shuttered since January 2014, following a series of demonstrations there. Protesters believe that the park’s closure and other infringements on their right to assembly are meant to silence opposition movements in the country. Cambodia, which has a turbulent political history, has experienced a high rate of dissidence since the re-election of its Prime Minister, Hun Sen, in July 2013. Members of the opposition, the Cambodian National Rescue Party, believe that Hun Sen and his long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party maintained power through fraudulent elections. Renewed protest has sparked fears that the upcoming anniversary of the disputed elections will be a flashpoint in the simmering unrest.